via the winds this is cnn, the world's news welcome to the whole story. i'm anderson cooper on june 6, 1944, american, canadian, british, and other allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in history. nearly 160,000 troops landed along five beaches in normandy, france. and what became known as d-day it was a turning point in the war in europe world war ii was fought against fascist regimes and germany and italy and imperial japan the victory of democratic principles was hard. one but 80 years have passed since d-day. and we thought it a good time to take a look at the state of our democracy today over the next hour, cnn's jake tapper looks back at d-day sacrifices. so many young men made on those beaches in normandy that day. and what it means to us now what were we fighting for? >> we were locked a battle with fascism. we're fighting for our freedom, for the freedom to think as we wish kopan with they gave their life to preserve and protect that constitution they died for our democracy. >> that wasn't the thing that we're thinking about when they ran out of the landing craft, whatever. but at the end of the day, that's what they were protecting we're trying to say drew bankruptcy because of what crazy or stored 80 years ago, thursday on june 6, 1944 five years after adolf hitler and the nazis began their global conquest and slaughter of millions of innocence. >> the us, united kingdom and canada launched operation overlord the largest seaborne invasion ever. the allies goal to free france defeat germany, and restored democracy to europe. >> they, they were supposed to be june 5, storm came in postponed for a day jake larson is 101-years-old on d-day. >> he was 21 from rural minnesota and an aide to a colonel who helped plan the attack i was an expert typist every person that landed on omaha beach on d-day came true these fingers i typed her name one hour after midnight, about 23,000 british and american paratroopers began i'm dropping behind enemy lines. >> and their mission was to secure causeways and enable the amphibious invasion, secure key terrain over the next few hours before dawn, about 133,000 troops crossed the english channel their destination right into the line of fire of germany's heavily fortified, so-called atlantic wall on francis normandy coast the brits led the attacks. it's sword and gold beaches. the canadians and brett's headed to juno beach the americans were to take utah and omaha among them, 19-year-old army corporal george states from beacon, new york three other shifts across at the same time, all of a sudden, rochelle started coming we heard this big crash, got blue the second ship right out of the water got hit by a shell we said, what about those guys? >> and that's what we could do the cold water are so cool hyperthermia was saturday and kill him 15 minutes. they're probably all gone, blown up already so that was welcome to the european theater of how operations halfway into the beach, we started seeing bondage everywhere that floating or semi floating or what navy man tally fletcher was a 19-year-old gunners mate from baton rouge, louisiana his task escort the lcis, the landing crafts, ferrying infantry fighters such as corporal states to shore is that we're going to take in to water up to your knees and they dropped the front of the lci. >> now the answer says a go nobody moves that's a yells go nobody moves. this is all right. billy kotb, to 50 guy ring back on the 50 gallon river shiga he says we're very given 30 seconds. the start shooting from back to front. i'm going to back you know what i'm doing? >> push a first step up to our knees is right here. right. if your shoulders that is stable, you hear get those rifles up in the air. we can always get new mega, we can get new rifles omaha beach was 300 yards of flat terrain protected with razor wire and land mines. >> beyond that deadly terrain a cliff and from that high ground highly trained german machine gunners roughly 2,500 american men died that day on the beaches of normandy the idea of landing were there are german machine guns and cannons firing at you from above and their four to five right? the only way that plan makes sense is if you think you're an american commander and you say well, we're just going to put so many americans on the ground that they can't kill us. all right. >> but that's terrifying it is terrifying, but that's war takes putting a young person with a gun out in front and relying on that person to keep going regardless of what he faces. >> and if he goes down to guy right behind him, takes over and the next guy and the next guy and that's how we win just a little berm sandstone berm that protected me from the fire. >> i'm land now raise your my pocket and i pull all this package of cigarettes and i sensed someone to my left so i said hey, buddy, have been gather match? i got no answer so i turned and there was a helmet then there was no head on the body it was at that exact moment. it was just like the sole of that soldier was talking to me and said right now, get up and run and i did it was crazy. i made it without being shot there were so many dead gis that the gabe along later with a bulldozer darker tribes about 200 feet long or baby 20 feet wide. >> ted feet deep and they pushed america about his and it's a whole that it covered up coercion the bodies are in a body bag and everybody had a dog tag. >> you as best as i could tell, was hardly any trouble compared to homo. have 19-year-old staff sergeant george mullins of eastern kentucky was on utah beach the second night. or certain combat. it's too dark for me the next mortar found 43 boys wounded and dead has alcohol shock came it took weeks for the allied powers to win the battle of normandy 73,000 allied service members were killed the sizes scale of d-day is enormous this a great quote that they fought together as brothers arms and they died together and now they sleep side-by-side. and to them, we have a solemn obligation to every one of us into those that have sacrifice we have a solemn obligation to continue this experiment. liberty that experiment continues. but it is more vulnerable today than in years past in his 1941 state of the union address, president franklin roosevelt discussed a world founded upon four essential human freedoms freedom of speech, and the expression. freedom. of every person to worship, freedom from want radium, from fear that is no vision or disc millennium that is a definite basis for applying the world at panel. then our own time and generation. >> and yet 103 of the 167 major countries in the world, 62% of them have become less democratic in the last generation decline has a lot of sources. >> i tend to think it's almost as if we are living through an era of incredible change. so economic change, demographic change, informational change, and people react against change by wanting things to become simpler the idea of a unified government, the idea, even if a dictator becomes appealing and so 80 years after d-day, a day when we honor allied forces who fought and died for democracy we wanted to hear from those who survived that day george washington library and others who have borne the battle and were willing to make that sacrifice. >> retired four-star marine general john kelly. he earned it, retired four-star marine general, jim matus, a former secretary of defense how does it feel to even be having these conversations about the future of democracy? after all the sacrifice that you have personally witnessed well, i considered it a privilege now was a us marine and that just source of pride for those of us who are there. >> but at the same time, i think it's healthy that we have the discussions that we not ignore race yes or two was an enormous conflict and retired four-star army general mark milley, a former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff millie was inspired to serve by his uncle, who was at normandy his father who fought in the pacific and his mother nursed the wounded state sayyed headstone of an unknown in early june, milli fluid of france. >> he plans to honor the fallen heroes at the 80th anniversary commemoration on omaha beach it's incumbent upon us to living the pass on their memory to live their values, to ensure that what they fought for lives to the next generation what did they all fact about how well we are guarding those democratic ideals, those four freedoms the more than 400 american service members died for todd and and font, i wore for for this that's ahead oh cornea zelda, it's got an answer them that's what i got agnes saada carnegie got to me. but with more flavoring barnea harnik and you swim the role. everyone comfortable. >> yep. there's plenty of space no, no, don't don't don't just wait them out volkswagen atlas with three rows and seating for seven everyone wants her, right? >> okay. i good gibeon and see despicable me before and theaters july 3rd, rated pg stores. i read that one. i read that one. i read that. i didn't read that one. didn't read that. >> can you get this? because i left beauvoir way in my back pocket. my pleasure because i earned unlimited 2% cashback this has fascinating digital wheels and barnacles have a parasitic relationship though i 12 called parasitic relationships. let's go barnacle limited 2% cashback, the wells fargo active cash credit card one greeting 70. yeah, that's not good. happened huge things happen happened be there with three, learn more at rnc.com welcome to the waiver hood with wave finding your style is fine when the music stops grabbing it doesn't matter if i'll go dollar. >> i'm sorry, carl, this is me and chair form i don't see you. >> just perfect for you. >> thank you. love it. i told you we should have done opinion nauta i explained it so many died. then i'd said you need to sit. down every style every home counter invasion was they faced a prolonged and bloody campaign in which this beachhead was only the first thrust there was a little after ten days that we had to beach solidified that we called ours the allied forces had won the de but for then 19-year-old army corporal george states, the grind of war had just begun. i was fed 30 bucks overseas. that was unfortunately different countries though some of the other bad tags i saw, i'd like to talk about the battle of normandy raged on for nearly three months and more carnage was just around the corner i december 1944 surprised german attack the last major german offensive on the western front the brutal, bloody battle of the bulge as the allies pushed to berlin nearly a year after de states was sent to germany as part of an occupation unit, ge years were in full retreat. >> they knew they were done along the way he encountered the depths of nazi horrors were driving down a road that all of a sudden we see these people out there in their pajamas. >> they weighed about 80 pounds people say ditto, such thing as concentration camps they were there. you could smell that's a worst smelling a bird body or dead body? get it all, forget i never told anybody once i got home just forgot about it it's a brutal, brutal, vicious thing. this thing called war, the degree of sacrifice and pain and suffering is unbelievable. we've got to do everything we can to make sure that we don't have a major armed conflict between great powers. that's why this rule is based on water is so important. >> the victorious countries match design the charter of the united nations this rules-based order. >> he's talking about was put in place by the allies after world war ii to protect the newly restored democracies with a set of rules and institutions without agreement on a charter. the structure of peace cannot be part of this was done through the united nations, which essentially said that we don't change borders by force. >> some of this was the use of the language of human rights that became part of international treaties and agreements it's essentially the idea was that we try and solve as many problems that we can buy negotiation and diplomacy rather than fighting then in 1949, joseph stalin's ussr seized seven nations and threatened other democratic countries. the allies added a military component establishing nato democratic allies, banding yeah, there as a force to deter soviet aggression rule one was that great powers or any power should not cross international borders with their military unless it's an active defense the united states has fought for that principle over and over. when korea cross the border in the summer 1950, president truman immediately deployed forces, marine reinforcements are rushed to the scene since the red sneak attack on southern korea. >> when saddam hussein across the border to attack kuwait president bush immediately deploy the 82nd airborne division and now. vladimir putin's decidedly undemocratic. russia has been waging a war against the democratic nation of ukraine for more than two years mark milley was the top military adviser to president biden when president putin invaded ukraine what putin did in february 22 was to conduct an outright war of aggression. >> he did a frontal assault on the very purpose the why of what world war ii was fought about it's extremely concerning to retire general john kelly when you invade a country that may not be perfect, but it is a growing democracy. >> if you get away with it, you might do it again. and it is pretty easy to predict what would happen. i think if ukraine fell to the onslaught of what? the we're experiencing right now they're welcome to the red book, sweet here at the george washington very cool this is interesting. so this is cool here. this little booklet just documents a special visit. we had look at the date august 31, 2021 right. >> six months before the invasion it's an honor and a pleasure to welcome prison. so let's back in 2021, ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy was in washington, dc to learn about the democratic ideal of the united states and to appeal to the united states for aid. >> this was before russian president putin's full-scale invasion. you are retired general when the intel started coming in that putin was going to send russian forces into invade and attack ukraine. what were you thinking when you started hearing it? >> well, my sense was we didn't stop him in the caucuses. they kinda did what he wanted and so the next step for a guy like him is attack someone else it sounds a lot like hitler in terms of their never being satisfied with acquiring land. he's not necessarily trying to re-establish. >> you'll soviet union, but certainly the old russian empire pray, pray, pray that you never crosses that line, but never know with a guy like putin if he thinks he can get away with it. just like the dictator of north korea, if those kind of people think they can get away with it, they'll go which is why these generals argue that another component of nato article five is so critical article five states that when someone attacks a nato country all are obligated to respond allies, allies allies the british and the canadian and american troops landed on the beaches of normandy. >> we were allies and we were lincoln up. but the french resistance to shore so that tell you deal with for a terrion, we get the allies together, the democracy together. you stand up to him for some d-day veterans, the russian invasion of ukraine has disturbing echoes of the german occupation as history all over again showloading, let down. >> putin is just like hitler your tell a big lie and you're telling it often enough, people get to believe you the threat he poses a real, he is a creature straight out of dostoevsky, kinda putting me contained absolutely put and can be contained. >> so long as the democracies state tightly linked i would just point out though right now, you're watching china and north korea. and i ran stand with russia those are the allies that putin has question is, well, the western allies stand with ukraine. and if the pro-putin caucus in the us congress has their way than of course, we wouldn't. >> the bill is passed you saw 75% of the congress vote for aid how important is the nato alliance super important later is hugely important? your former boss, donald trump, was one of those people leading the charge for other countries to pay their fair share. >> but i've also heard him criticized for not really being committed to nato. do you have any concerns? i do. there are some americans are feeling as though to come home and just let the world and you go its own way. >> and i think he was responding to that sentiment in some cases this says he did push them to pony up and get into the two 2% of gdp in most of them are working towards that back here in america, there are also critics who argue president biden's afghanistan withdrawal all in 2020, sent the wrong message to poop about american resolve. >> we shouldn't have withdrawn the troops. well, we did. that was like sending a green light what other countries do you think would be at risk if ukraine were to ultimately fall to the russians? >> well, if you listened to putin in terms of what he's trying to re-establish, certainly the baltic countries would be at risk and the dominos may keep falling ukraine, the shield of europe falls you're going to see an emboldened president xi and china, the eyes taiwan you're going to see a world where more people think they can get away literally with murder coming up the rise of authoritarianism around the world a night of new cnn original series, first, violent birth with me and shriver. >> it's hard to imagine the power a mother nature, followed by secrets and spies, a nuclear game, back-to-back years starts tonight, it nine on cnn sleep at night on a mattress for mattress firm. i sleep the memorial day sales save up to file i've hundred dollars on temper pdf and get a $300 instant gift, get matched at mattress firm, sleep at night oh, carney isolde, it's got an answer. that's what i said. >> god-man, saada got a new got to me got juicy gardner salah hernias, karen, i and use holes all that golden golden corral and park dka. you have to experience it to truly appreciate the beauty. the wildlife the sheer majesty experience it with state of the art expedition equipment and hands-on scientific research activities. all in exceptional viking uncomfort. we invite you to discover the world's seventh continent, antarctica viking, exploring the world in comfort so far as helping me get my money right to achieve my ambitions were so five second and statements that pay no account and earn one of the best apy is in the league store. >> a higher apy and in patric welcome bonus when you set up to get to deposit at fisher investments, we may look like other money managers, but were different. >> you can't be that different. >> we are we have a team of specialists, not only an investing, but also in financial and estate planning and more clients rely on you for all that? yes. and as a fiduciary, we always put their interests first, but you still so commission-based products, right? no, we have a simple management fee structured, so we do better when our clients do better he were more different than i thought at fisher investments work clearly different here movement that inspires did you know sling has your favorite news programs for just $40 a month my favorite news for just $40 a month. >> my favorite news for just $40 a month. >> $40 a month like favorite for just $40 a month $40 get your favorite news are $40 a month sling lets you do that how do you sleep at night? >> on a matters from mattress firm. >> so i sleeve at the morrill the sale get a clean mattress and adjustable base for $20, go to deal dash.com and see how much you can save with jake tapper weekdays it for on cnn close captioning bronchi by meso book.com if you or a loved one have mesothelial mac will send you a free book to answer quest